
Full of miscommunication, but I still enjoyed it
Let me start by saying that I usually HATE time skips, and I was so terrified of this one that I watched up till the time skip and paused the drama for four months because I couldn't bring myself to continue.But I liked this a lot more than I expected. For someone who usually hates noble idiocy and lack-of-communication as plot points, the storyline was serious enough for me to really empathize with Mu Cheng and understand why she did what she did, especially considering how fleshed out her backstory was.
There were a lot of scenes that were really heartbreaking, even frustrating to watch, because it felt like nothing ever went right and the story was just so tragic and angsty. At the same time, however, there were really adorable and pure scenes between the main leads, and like everyone else, I grew to love Xiao Le as well, who quickly became one of my favorite characters ever.
Yes, part of me wished the characters were just more open and honest with each other, as it felt like ALL the characters did that "lie for someone else's own good," but Autumn's Concerto managed to pull it off. I also commend the drama for tackling sexual assault/abuse AND how perpetrators often get away with it—it felt too REAL.
I won't lie, some of the things Ren Guang Xi did were REALLY problematic, but considering how much character depth he actually had and the other ways sexual assault was addressed, I'm willing to let it slide.
Was this review helpful to you?

I loved the main leads a lot, and I'd been looking for dramas with this kind of bantering relationship (kind of like Weightlifting Fairy) but this is only the second one I found. I loved the chemistry through, and though I expected a love triangle with the way Dae Hwi was filmed in the beginning, I was pleasantly surprised that there wasn't one. I also liked that there wasn't a lot of unnecessary drama, miscommunications, and misunderstandings between them—there was one, which annoyed me—but other than that, they were always really open with each other.
Individually, they were great characters as well. Eun Ho was a really strong female character, and I loved that she always stood up for herself. Tae Woon made my heart melt with all the little things he did. Bo Ra was another character who I loved; even though she definitely pissed me off in the beginning, her character development was so good and I loved her after it.
Sadly though, I'm a little unsatisfied with the ending, and even though it's not sad, exactly, it was still a little bittersweet to me Firstly, the character development for some side characters (like the chairman) seemed a little rushed. Secondly, I wish there was a bigger scene where the students of the school were more united against the corruption. And I wish there was more closure for some of the other bad characters, who I felt never got the bad karma they deserved.
Was this review helpful to you?

This review may contain spoilers
Hm. I had read so many reviews about the plot of this being horrible...but I surprisingly enjoyed it. It was definitely a little all over the place, but at the same time it was quite cliche which made it easy to follow. The plot point of Eun Sang hiding her real economic class was honestly just frustrating because obviously there was going to be a dramatic reveal sceneCHOI YOUNG DO BROKE MY HEART. To be honest, he was a much more interesting character than Kim Tan, and it kills me that he didn't get THE happy ending.
Other two characters that were so good were Chan Yeong and Bo Na, who were one of the cutest, purest, drama-free ships ever. I loved them. And I want Krystal's English "Oh my god" to be my alarm tone. Honestly, her English was perfect, and it was the only one I could bear to listen to. The American actors, especially at the beginning (when the scene was set in LA) were so bad, and every conversation sounded unnatural.
One thing I didn't really like were just that there were SO MANY CHARACTERS. I totally thought Hyo Shin and Kim Won were the same person at the beginning. I didn't care about any of the adult ships at all.
I know a lot of people were annoyed by the OST, but I actually really loved the songs so much that I was down to hear them over and over again.
Was this review helpful to you?

Seonam Girls High School Investigators
0 people found this review helpful
But I continued, and WHEW, thank god I did, because this drama totally grew on me. Firstly, I definitely started to like the main character better. Secondly, I liked that the plot got darker, more real, and more tense, but it take me a little while to get used to because the "humor" had been so absurd and parody-like that I couldn't take anything seriously.
There were still some episodes that were super frustrating, like when the plot was so painfully obvious that it physically hurt that I had to wait 2 hours for the characters to figure it out.
In the end, I continued watching this for the main plot. It was a little LESS dark than I had wanted, considering how much build-up it had.
Was this review helpful to you?

I definitely cared more about the second ship than the first, which I felt like was more wholesome, but I also found myself becoming more invested in the plot of the main lead. It's an interesting feeling to kind of be intrigued without actively rooting for the ship, but I guess that's what I did.
Was this review helpful to you?

I was surprised that the drama actually talked about more serious topics in the later episodes though, and I did enjoy the vibe of it, though plot-wise there wasn't much development (which is understandable considering the shortness of the drama).
If you're looking for anything with actual substance, I'm not sure I'd recommend this.
Was this review helpful to you?

Like I said in my review for the first season, I still wasn't a fan of all the imaginary scenes. They still were boring and unnecessary to me. Other than that, however, I still really liked the humor in this, and the fact that they tackled a more serious plotline near the end of the season was great.
Was this review helpful to you?

The main thing that makes me want to rip my hair out is...THE ENDING. UGHHHH. The ending could be definitely seen as realistic and bittersweet, but to me, it just left me upset and unsatisfied. My heart hurts because of it and it will hurt forever.
Overall, the entire vibe of this drama was so wholesome and cozy; it was refreshing to watch something a little less modern and a little softer.
Was this review helpful to you?

The entire aesthetic and cinematography of this drama was beautiful, from the sunsets in the background to the bird's eye views of the beach, to the city night lights. I wish SO BADLY that my college experience would be like this.
Was this review helpful to you?

Messy
The biggest reason I liked the second season less might just be because Han Yu, MY FAVORITE CHARACTER, has so little screentime. I also wasn't a huge fan of Jiang Chen Chuan, and the fact that he seemed to replace Han Yu as second lead seemed unnecessary and made for the purpose of one of the plot twists.Overall, the plot had some really messy parts, and this season felt like it tried to squeeze in too many cliches. I'm normally okay with cliches—and I even enjoy them, but even too much of them annoys me.
Was this review helpful to you?

Once you get past the confusion of the beginning, this drama isn't too bad. I liked that the main character stood up for herself, and I liked the friendships with classmates. At the same time, however, it was hard to tell what the plot actually was, and the story kind of seemed like one cliche after another.
Having watched this after Put Your Head On My Shoulder, I definitely had trouble getting used to Xing Fei's dubbed voice; the voice they gave her was honestly a bit shrilly and annoying, but I got used to it.
My favorite character was probably Han Yu, and I wish he got more screentime.
Was this review helpful to you?

I never really cared for Jun Pyo either—and I definitely felt second lead syndrome, though at the same time my heart didn't care THAT much. The more I think about it the more problematic it seems, and Jun-Pyo simply seems violent and abusive.
The story is honestly hard to believe — it's the very cliche kind where literally EVERYTHING happens to the main leads and it's pretty nonsensical.
With that being said, all 5/10 of my rating is for THE SECOND SHIP. I SHIP THEM SO DAMN HARD AND I AM SO HAPPY WITH THE WAY THEY GOT TOGETHER. THIS 7/10 IS FOR THEM. The second reason is the OST, which I gotta say, is pretty damn good.
Was this review helpful to you?

The biggest problem I have is honestly the way mental health was addressed, which, no matter how I think about it, was really problematic especially in the later episodes. While I understand that the character struggling was the antagonist, it seemed like they were just a hindrance and talk about suicide/self-harm were never sufficiently addressed as an issue.
Was this review helpful to you?

Was this review helpful to you?

Not as good as its prequel
While I liked the overall vibe of these movies and how they were a mix between romance, life, and action, I just didn't connect much to this movie's plot. I wasn't a huge fan of Chungking Express but it was still better — I felt more invested in the stories and the characters had more personality to them. The stories felt more organized and I connected to what they were feeling more.Even then, however, I have to give credit once more to Kaneshiro Takeshi, who had the most intriguing part of the movie and certainly did his character justice. I wish we saw more of his character.
Was this review helpful to you?